Custer County Commissioner Bill Canda is facing both ethical and criminal complaints from residents after trying to stop a severance check to a former county employee.
In August, Custer County Commissioners voted to get rid of the county manager position. The manager at the time, Braden Wilson, was supposed to receive a severance check totaling more than $54,000 because of his termination.
However, Canda tried to stop the severance check from going through by going to the United Business Bank in Westcliffe to file a stop payment order. KRDO obtained the stop payment order which shows the account is held by Virginia Trujillo, the Custer County Treasurer. On the second page of the stop payment order, Canda crosses out Trujillo’s name and puts his own, and then signs and dates the document.
Trujillo told KRDO that Canda didn’t have the authority to stop a severance check to a former employee. During a commissioner meeting the following week, Custer County Commissioner Kevin Day said the check still went through because Canda isn’t authorized to stop it.
In September, Custer County resident Jordan Hedberg filed a criminal complaint with the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, who responded and said an outside investigation would have to take place since the sheriff reports to the county commissioners.
Several other Custer County residents have filed ethics complaints with the state’s Independent Ethics Commission, alleging Canda used his government position to violate state and local laws.
